PCB chief looks to ‘ease in’ Amir

KARACHI: Contrary to expectations, disgraced fast bowler Mohammad Amir is unlikely to be a part of the Pakistan team for its major ‘home’ series against England later this year.
In fact, the youngster might not even make the cut for the national squad when Pakistan will host old-rivals India for a possible series in the United Arab Emirates starting in December 2015.
That’s because unlike his predecessor Najam Sethi, Shaharyar Khan has absolutely no plans to fast forward the process that would allow Amir to return to national duty immediately after completing a five-year ban that was slapped on him by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for spot-fixing back in 2010. Amir who was found guilty of spot-fixing along with two other team-mates – Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif – will be free to play once his ban ends this September.
However, Shaharyar, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, is against the idea of hurrying back Amir’s re-entry in international cricket.
“It is not that I don’t have a soft spot for Amir,” Shaharyar told ‘The News’ in an interview. “He is a talented, young man who is keen to revive his international career. But the problem is that he did commit a grave offence and needs to fulfill all requirements before we can think about including him in the Pakistan team,” he added. Shaharyar is of the view that the Pakistan team will be better off if Amir is “eased in” rather than “imposed” on his former team-mates.
“The issue isn’t a simple one as it is not just about including Amir in the national team once his ban ends,” the PCB chief said. “We will need to cover all bases before making a final call.”
Shaharyar’s idea is to make sure Amir will return to the Pakistan squad as an asset rather than a liability.
“There is no doubt that Amir is an exciting talent something he proved before getting banned for spot-fixing,” he said. “But it’s also a fact that he committed a serious crime and that’s something which doesn’t just go away.”
The PCB chairman is also concerned about a whispering campaign which suggests that several of the current Pakistan players do not want Amir back.
“I wouldn’t name the players but there is certainly truth in reports that there is some anxiety in the team’s dressing room over Amir’s possible return,” he said.
“If we conclude that Amir’s return can have a negative effect on the team’s stability then certainly we are going to think again,” he added.
Shaharyar said that even if Amir fulfills all technical requirements he will have to prove his form and fitness to earn back his place in the team.
“We have many young and talented fast bowlers in our pool and Amir will have to prove that he deserves to be in the team. For that he will need to give proof of his match fitness and form. He is a young man and should be able to do that but it won’t be easy considering that he has been out of international cricket for almost five years.”
The way Shaharyar is tackling the Amir issue is in complete contrast to how Sethi dealt with it during his stint as PCB chairman.
It seemed that the eminent journalist was playing to the gallery when he declared that PCB will fight for Amir’s early return soon after taking over as the Board’s interim chairman in the summer of 2013.
Sethi asked the ICC to reconsider Amir’s case and succeeded in his efforts when the game’s governing body revised its anti-corruption code last year. The revised code makes provision for a banned player to gain an early return to domestic cricket in certain circumstances.
Shaharyar said that Amir is well on his way to fulfill most requirements but added that the PCB will opt for an assessment process of around six months before deciding about recalling the pacer.
He also promised that the Board will closely monitor Amir’s conduct once he starts playing domestic cricket.
He concluded by stressing that the Board will be pleased if Amir overcomes all possible hurdles and successfully revives his international career.